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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr. in PICE

KEYNOTE ADDRESS of DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane Jr.

PICE 2009 NATIONAL MIDYEAR CONVENTION

IT IS MY HONOR TO JOIN THE PHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERS IN ITS 2009 NATIONAL MIDYEAR CONVENTION.

IT FEELS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY THAT WE WERE ALL TOGETHER UNDER ONE ROOF IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR FOR YOUR NATIONAL CONVENTION.

I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING FAITH IN MY WORDS OF WISDOM WHICH COME FROM 43 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE IN THE NAME OF DEVELOPMENT.

JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, DURING THE 111TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS AND HIGHWAYS, MY FELLOW WORKERS IN THE DEPARTMENT SURPRISED ME BY NAMING ME A LOYALTY AWARDEE, CITING MY OVER 4 DECADES OF SERVICE.

LOOKING BACK AT MY CAREER, I CAN ONLY BE THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW, TO SERVE AND TO LEAD.

AND I AM HOPEFUL THAT MY SERVICE WILL CONTINUE IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY FOUR YEARS AT THE DEPARTMENT IS HOW IMPORTANT THE JOB OF THE CIVIL ENGINEER IS, ESPECIALLY IN THE LIGHT OF OUR STATUS AS A DEVELOPING COUNTRY.

THE SERVICE THAT YOU RENDER, THE EXPERTISE THAT YOU HAVE, THE INSIGHT THAT YOU BRING TO THE DEVELOPMENT EFFROT ARE ALL BASIC TO ENABLING THE BEST POSSIBLE INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK FOR OUR COUNTRY.

I HAVE ALSO BEEN WITNESS TO WHAT ROADS AND BRIDGES REALLY MEAN TO COMMUNITIES AND CITIZENS ON THE GROUND.

WHILE WE IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF ROAD NETS AND MODERN BRIDGES ON THE OVERALL ECONOMIC PROGRAM, THE BENEFICIARIES EXPERIENCE NEW HOPE FROM INCREASED TRADE FROM NEIGHBORING BARANGAYS, EDUCATION RIGHT IN THEIR OWN TOWN, AND MORE VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE EXOTIC LOCALES.

WHAT IS THEORETICAL TO THOSE WHO PLAN AND EXECUTE BECOMES REAL AND INSPIRATIONAL TO THOSE WHO USE AND BENEFIT FROM THESE ROADS AND BRIDGES.

IN OUR COUNTRY, THE ROAD IS THE BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE. IT IS HOPE, IT IS OPPORTUNITY, IT IS A BETTER LIFE.

THIS HOPE, THIS OPPPORTUNITY, THIS BETTER LIFE WE HAVE WORKED TO BRING TO FRUITION FOR THE LAST 111 YEARS.

FROM DIRT ROADS AND MAKESHIFT BRIDGES IN 1898, WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE COLLECTIVELY BUILT 29,369.7 KILOMETERS OF ROADS AND 314,453 LINEAL METERS OF BRIDGES ACROSS OUR 7,101 ISLANDS.

IN 2008, WE NOT ONLY ADDED TO THE ROAD NETWORK BUT ALSO BUILT 3,423 CLASSROOMS TOGETHER WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND SECURED MORE PLACES FROM PERENNIAL RAINS WITH 1,329 FLOOD CONTROL PROJECTS.

WE HAVE ALSO OPENED UP MORE AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES WITH 79 KILOMETERS OF NEW FARM TO MARKET ROADS IN COOPERATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRARIAN REFORM.

EVERY ROAD, BRIDGE, SCHOOL BUILDING AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE RESPONDS TO A NEED ON THE GROUND.

FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GROW, FOR THE FARMER TO HAVE MORE MARKETS TO SERVE, FOR THE STUDENT TO HAVE A GOOD EDUCATION RIGHT IN THEIR HOMETOWN, FOR THE TOURIST TO ENJOY MORE OF OUR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY TRAVELLING ON GOOD ROADS.

THAT IS WHY THIS YEAR, THE DPWH CHOSE A THEME THAT IS ANCHORED ON WHAT IS OF VALUE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS: KALSADA ANG TULAY SA KINABUKASAN, SAMA-SAMA NATING ALAGAAN.

I SHARE THIS WITH YOU TODAY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE THEME OF YOUR CONVENTION: CIVIL ENGINEERS SUSTAINING INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AMIDST GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS.

WHAT CIVIL ENGINEERS DO SUSTAINS NOT ONLY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT BUT THE VERY LIFELINE OF OUR PEOPLE.

GIVEN THE PRESENT SITUATION, WHAT CIVIL ENGINEERS MUST DO IS SUSTAIN YOUR WORK, WITH MORE EFFICIENCY, AND GREATER PRODUCTIVITY.

AS I SAID IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE A LEADER WHO IS AN ECONOMIST, AND A GOOD ONE AT THAT.

THAT IS WHY WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HURDLE THE CHALLENGES OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS WITH PREEMPTIVE MOVES THAT CUSHION NEGATIVE IMPACTS.

THE PUMP-PRIMING EFFORTS, PARTICULARLY FOR PUBLIC WORKS, ASIDE FROM PUSHING THE COMPLETION OF THE VARIOUS SONA AND OTHER PRIORITY PROJECTS, HAVE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF JOBS IN THE FIRST SEMESTER.

OUR WORK AS BUILDERS HAS TAKEN ON A NEW DIMENSION WITH THE JOB GENERATION PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE EMBARKED ON.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT UNDER THE FLAGSHIP COMPREHENSIVE LIVELIHOOD AND EMERGENCY EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM OR CLEEP, PUBLIC WORKS CONTINUES THE PRACTICE OF EMPLOYING COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR ON-GOING PROJECTS IN THE AREA.

AS OF END-MAY 2009, THE DPWH HAS BEN ABLE TO GENERATE 300,924 JOBS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR SINCE FEB 2009, OR A PERIOD OF 3 MONTHS.

THESE JOBS RANGE FROM ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE WORKERS TO OFFICE PERSONNEL.

SPECIFICALLY, SOME 46,604 JOBS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED UNDER OYSTER ROADSIDE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM, AND AN ADDITIONAL 33,401 JOBS FOR PUMP-PRIMING PROJECTS.

IN CLOSING I REPEAT THE THEME OF OUR ANNIVERSARY WHICH HAS BEEN MY CONSISTENT AND SUSTAINED MESSAGE OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS: KALSADA ANG TULAY SA KINABUKASAN, SAMA-SAMA NATING ALAGAAN.

IN FULFILLMENT OF PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO'S INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, WE HAVE BEEN AT YOUR SERVICE ON THE GROUND IN GREATER MEASURE OVER THE LAST NINE YEARS.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK FOR YOU IN COMMUNITIES FAR AND WIDE.

THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE DPWH WILL CONTINUE TO FULFILL OUR PLEDGE OF SERVE: TO BUILD OUR COUNTRY THROUGH PUBLIC WORKS FACILITIES THAT ENDURE, AND TO STAMP OUR NAME ON OUR WORK AND IN THE PAGES OF HISTORY.

I KNOW THE PICE WILL BE OUR PARTNERS IN THE GREAT CHALLENGE, AND I KNOW THAT TOGETHER, WE WILL ALWAYS DO BETTER

THE ROAD TO THE FUTURE IS LAID OUT FOR US, LET US WORK AS ONE, AND WORK FOR THE GOOD OF EVERYONE.